Latest Posts

Derde Verde – “After The Storm”

June 28, 2023

“After the Storm” is the most recent (and final) single off of Los Angeles-based Derde Verde‘s June 16 sophomore album, Tug of War. Initially in a hiatus during the height of the pandemic, the band gave themselves a few months to put together a record and ended up in a studio and recorded their efforts on two-inch tape in mostly live takes (no small feat). Featuring meandering guitars and a folk-tinged vibe, you can certainly feel the heart and soul behind every note and word as a true labor of love. Listeners of Big Thief or Grizzly Bear would find find a lot to enjoy here, as would anyone who likes to jam out to some good ole rock ‘n roll! Be sure to check out “After the Storm” as well as the rest of Tug of War on Spotify or Band Camp and let us know what you think in the comments![...]

Paper Lady x Nebulous – “Violet”

June 26, 2023

Boston based quintet Paper Lady is one of those bands that is easy to assign a label to, but no single descriptor does them justice. Some accurate terms including but (not limited to) are “Indie,” “dream pop,” and “shoegaze.” We’ve covered them previously here and said of their single, “Starcross” that it was equal parts alt-rock and shoegaze. “Violet,” alongside collaborator Nebulous, definitely strays from the alt-rock and more so embraces a pleasant shoegaze/dream pop medley; you’ll be drawn in and haunted by singer Alli Raina’s vocals and the deliciously layered guitars and effects (be sure to stay to the end for some Björk-esque wailing). As told by the band: “[‘Violet’ was] written by our singer Alli Raina about a dream she had where a giant space woman kissed her and she subsequently knew all of the secrets of the universe. She woke up to find that it was only[...]

Amelie Lucille – “Because of You”

June 16, 2023

Hot off the presses from her new self-titled EP, Amelie Lucille‘s lead single “Because of You” is a dazzling folk-tinged alt pop gem. With inspirations ranging anywhere from The Cure to Fleetwood Mac and Björk, Amelie certainly has some eclectic tastes that display beautifully in her music. Not to bury the lede, but at a mere 14 years of age, she cannot legally purchase an alcoholic beverage at any venue I’m familiar with (and I’ve been to a lot!) Speaking on the inspiration behind her debut EP: ““I want to live in any time besides now. I am almost 15 and I envy anyone that was able to experience the world when it wasn’t so impersonal. The movies, the style, the people, but most of all, the music. I dream of seeing my favorite bands live…” You absolutelymust lend your ears to Amelie’s music. Having had to endure such musical majesties[...]

Graham Grease – “On Replay”

June 5, 2023

Washington, DC based band Graham Grease brings us a post-punk tinged single with “On Replay.” This is a bit of a change-up from when we last covered them back in ’21, but still in fine form (as Nick aptly pointed out: “…the ear-catching discordance of Pile, the eternal-slacker vibes of Pavement, and grittiness of early Nirvana…”). Whereas 2021’s “Teething” was more of a nod to the 90’s grunge bands of yesteryear, “On Replay” goes with crooning vocals a la Talking Heads and the layered guitars more in line with “Machina” era Smashing Pumpkins with a bit of the freak-out vibes of Q and not U. Bonus clout: studio drums were laid down by Spike Smith who has previously played with Morrissey and the mixing was done Jonathan Schenke who has worked with Parquet Courts, Liars, and Snail Mail. You’ll be more than impressed with the depth of sound throughout this track.[...]

Jason Nolan – “Cantonese Dream”

May 30, 2023

“Cantonese Dream” is the lead single off of Jason Nolan‘s upcoming LP, Pink Sky in the Real World. His unique blend of bedroom-pop compositions bring a dulcet, incredibly calming voice with a healthy dose of chill wave thrown in. The bass track throughout really unites “Cantonese Dream” and keeps it pulsating with a shimmering energy that never bogs down into mood-setting ambiance. The album itself was written over a four year period of time around the various locales of New Zealand, including a small suburb of Wellington. The ethereal nature of the track is very much on purpose, as Nolan says regarding the song: “Cantonese Dream is about being the wrong side of the mirror and feeling like a passenger in your own dream. Depending on the day, it’s about being weak to a lot of the easy temptations and distractions or being open and curious about the peculiarities…the name comes[...]

The Jürgen Clubs – “Rare Candy”

May 26, 2023

“Rare Candy” is the follow-up single to an earlier track, “Soft” from The Jürgen Clubs that we actually covered back in March – check it out here in case you missed it. While not singing about the Pokémon leveling item, rare candy, this song still doesn’t disappoint. Much like “Soft,” TJC brings a fun, raucous energy with the heavy synth you’ve grown to know and love from them, but bring more of a guitar focus along this time. Similar in tone to Passion Pit or Phoenix, you certainly won’t be put to sleep by this banger. In keeping with my edict from our past post, this is very much a song you could add to your summer playlist. If you have friends over and play this they’ll be like “Whoa, who is this?” You can then confidently say, with an air of superiority, “Oh just this band called The Jürgen[...]

Buck St. Thomas- “Quiet Thrills”

May 26, 2023

Hailing from Rhode Island, Buck St. Thomas brings us a crispy indie ditty of a track in “Quiet Thrills.” With just the right mix between melancholy and hopeful; his voice croons betwixt a nice sliding acoustic guitar and simple piano chords. As the track goes on, you hear some light drums and bass guitar join the fray that builds into a much more complex movement. Fans of Band of Horses, Elliot Smith, or their folksy ilk would find a lot to enjoy here, especially since this isn’t a one trick pony track – Buck more or less has an established sound that he sticks to and plays with, but isn’t afraid to take some risks. Be sure to check out the “Quiet Thrills” as well as Buck St. Thomas’ other tracks over on his Bandcamp or Spotify. Let us know what you think over in the comments on your social[...]

Dawn Park – “What It Was”

May 21, 2023

New York based duo Dawn Park started off, as told on the band’s Instagram “origin story”, something like this: *video of rough version of melody* “basically just making real estate loops” “I love it” “Yeah yeah. Loop deez” “colin i’d be down to record this tn if you are” “for sure” That night, Colin Reilly and Zach Aumueller pounded out what would become “What It Was.” A healthy combination of bass, electric drums and that the aforementioned underlying melody, you can hear the influences going from Real Estate or Alex G with some Strokes thrown in. The vocals are uplifting and poppy, which provides a nice juxtaposition to the neurotic instrumental, and avoids the pitfall of being just another post-post-punk wannabe with access to recording equipment. This jives well overarching narrative behind Dawn Park, “to embody the feeling that you can always find something beautiful or funny worth experiencing in[...]

Sarah Coolidge – “Ice Pack”

May 21, 2023

“Ice Pack” is the lead single from Bay Area Sarah Coolidge’s upcoming debut album, Call Me When You Get There. Currently residing in the Bay Area, this is Sarah’s second song written about an injury, the first being her 2020 single “Nosebleed.” The ostensibly injury prone Coolidge’s “Ice Pack” is a well crafted indie-shoegaze gem that, while at first unassuming, packs quite a punch between the impeccably-layered guitars and Sarah’s frank and creative songwriting and delivery (pepper flake in the eye, people cry when they fall down/everyone needs something to laugh about). Fans of Courtney Barnett or Kurt Vile (rocking a My Bloody Valentine pedal board) would certainly find a lot to enjoy here, though Sarah Coolidge and company manage to bring enough of their own flair to stand on their own. You can hear “Ice Pack” as well as the back catalogue of singles over on Bandcamp as well[...]

The Landing – “This Way”

May 21, 2023

Looking for an out of this world trippy soundscape? Look no further than The Landing‘s “This Way” off of their upcoming debut album Beautiful Human, Beautifully Human. Bringing a pop-forward track with some hip hop beats snuck in for extra flavor, The Landing shows up their composition chops quite spectacularly. Synth heavy with with lots of fun little flitty effects interspersed through, you’ll hear something new on each subsequent listen. Telling you TL is an amateur astronomer shouldn’t surprise you at all after listening, but if you didn’t pick up on that, look at http://www.whatisthelanding.com/ and you’ll see a quote attributed to Neil Degrasse Tyson – “Cosmic discovery doesn’t become mainstream until the artists embrace the fruits of those discoveries.” You can hear “This Way” over on Soundcloud or Spotify, be sure to check those out along with their future LP, unless you’ve discovered faster than light speed… In which case[...]

Born Twins – “Tiger”

May 20, 2023

“Tiger” is the lead track and second single from Texas based duo Born Twins‘ album Novelas Cortas (May 5). In it, bandmates Singer Mayberry and David Lujan have crafted a beautifully put together track that somehow ignores space and time. I think five minute songs are usually bloated, but this somehow ignores that gripe and I enjoyed it enough to add it to my regular rotation (not all bands get that distinguished honor). The play between Mayberry’s subdued vocals and the resonating guitar effect are this track’s biggest strength. Listen for the subtle Wurlitzer bass synth interspersed through too. If Bob Ross were a musician, he would have made a clever little comment to the effect of “we’re just gonna add in this tiny synth line here… if you use it in the intro make sure you come back to it again, but only if you want to.” Fans of[...]

Spirit Award – “New Energy”

May 15, 2023

Spirit Award is a collaborative effort between Daniel Lyon of Pomegranates and Chris Jordan, bassist of Sunny Day Real Estate. “New Energy” is a single off of their upcoming album, The Fear (May 19th). The track itself starts with tight guitar and drums that sound like they’re in a dead sprint to finish in first. Neck and neck, it turns into one of those Tough Mudder (TM) races as they come up on some more layered guitar with some subtle midi accompaniment, symbolizing that colored power stuff they throw on you (I think, I’ve never done a race in my life). On the subject of “New Energy” the band had this to say: “The song is a wishful look into the future. Change or progress isn’t always good as we have seen throughout history. But I believe some things and minds in this world must change in order for us[...]

DiRTY RADiO – “Jet Fuel”

April 30, 2023

Many of my DJ friends are probably much more well versed with Canada-based DiRTY RADiO. I could try to bullshit my way through knowing everything about turntables and mixes, but I admittedly have only basic novice knowledge… However, I can confidently say that musically, DR absolutely knows what he’s doing. From what I listened to, the mixing between vocals and beats are top notch club fare, and will certainly get your bodies moving as intended. “Jet Fuel” is one of those fire tracks that is exactly as advertised: a masterfully produced electronica song that begs you to let loose on the dance floor and try not to clench your teeth (ifkyk). If you’ve ever been to a party (or after party) north of the border, you’d expect a song like “Jet Fuel” to be bumping through the speakers. Find more of DiRTY RADiO over on Spotify or his artist page.[...]

Matthew Danger Lippman – “Set Up”

April 30, 2023

Matthew Danger Lippman (henceforth MDL), currently residing in NYC but also an erstwhile Buffalonian (anyone still around from 2014? You may remember Brimstone Blondes) and buffaBLOG contributor, brings his single “Set Up” from his upcoming full length Once You Get Low You’ve Gotta Start Flying Baby for your listening pleasure. MDL has previously opened for such artists as Foxygen (a personal favorite of mine), Shonen Knife, and Active Bird Community. We tried to get him to write this review himself but he threw a guitar at the editor when asked. [Editor’s note: this is actually not true, it was a snare drum.] “Set Up” is soulful fucking (soulfucking?) pop-rock ear worm that rewards multiple listens. Carefully curated guitar and a rollicking bass track give way to fun synth interludes and backing vocals a la a gospel revival choir. MDL, ever the enigmatic frontman, opens up his thesaurus and points out the[...]

Millionyoung – “Lost”

April 30, 2023

Based out of Miami, Millionyoung is the project of Mike Diaz and “Lost” is both the name of his newest single that, coincidentally, shares the name of one of the most overrated TV shows of all time (seriously, I tried, plz don’t @ me). That’s where the comparisons end though; “Lost” (the song) feels like a pleasant Sunday drive with your foot hanging out the window on a warm-but-overcast day, whereas the TV show was overhyped and couldn’t stick the landing. Like a tasty, chillwave blooming onion served by Panda Bear (of Animal Collective fame), you’ll find layers aplenty that Diaz has obviously taken great care with laying down here. The thick guitars meld well with the heavy synth treatment while his whisper voice vocals guide you along, lest your fragile mind becomes lost in the (dipping) sauce. Fans of Washed Out or Cocteau Twins will find a kindred spirit[...]